WAUWATOSA, WI – 07/24/2019 – Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBF), holding company for WaterStone Bank, reported net income of $9.6 million, or $0.37 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to $9.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Net income per diluted share was $0.61 for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to net income per diluted share of $0.59 for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

“We achieved a record second quarter net income of $9.6 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.37,” said Douglas Gordon, CEO of Waterstone Financial, Inc. “The Community Banking segment continues to focus on organic growth, maintaining strong asset quality and making strategic investments for the future. The Mortgage Banking segment executed well in the second quarter including originating its highest loan volume for a month of May. As a result of our continued strong performance and well capitalized position, we were able to enter into a new share repurchase program during the quarter and continue declaring a quarterly dividend showing our commitment to increasing shareholder value.”

Highlights of the Quarter Ended June 30, 2019

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (Consolidated)

• Consolidated net income of Waterstone Financial, Inc. totaled $9.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to $9.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Consolidated return on average assets was 1.95% for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to 2.02% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Consolidated return on average equity was 9.96% for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 and 9.40% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.  
• The Company repurchased a total 384,500 shares on the open market during the quarter ended June 30, 2019 at an average price of $16.74 per share for a total of 846,900 shares at an average price of $16.62 per share during the six months ended June 30, 2019.
• Dividends declared totaled $0.12 per share during the quarter ended June 30, 2019 amounting to a total of $0.74 in dividends declared per share during the six months ended June 30, 2019.

Community Banking Segment

• Pre-tax income of the segment totaled $7.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, which represents a 13.7% decrease compared to $8.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Net interest income of the segment totaled $13.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, which represents a 1.6% decrease compared to $13.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Average loans held for investment totaled $1.38 billion during the quarter ended June 30, 2019, which represents an increase of $47.3 million, or 3.6% over the comparable quarter in the prior year. Average loans held for investment decreased $228,000, or 0.1% annualized, compared to $1.38 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2019.
• Net interest margin decreased 32 basis points to 2.82% for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to 3.14% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, which was a result of the increase in cost of funding as certificates of deposit and borrowings repriced at higher rates over the past year. Net interest margin decreased nine basis points compared to 2.93% for the quarter ended March 31, 2019.
• The segment had no provision for loan losses for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to a negative provision for loan loss of $250,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Net recoveries totaled $26,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to net recoveries of $154,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Noninterest income decreased $58,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2018 as fees earned on loans decreased.
• Noninterest expenses increased $647,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2018 as compensation, occupancy, data processing, and real estate owned increased.
• The efficiency ratio for the community banking segment totaled 49.52% for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to 44.26% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Average deposits totaled $1.04 billion during the quarter ended June 30, 2019, which represents an increase of $50.7 million, or 5.1%, over the comparable quarter in the prior year.  Average deposits increased $4.3 million, or 1.6% annualized, compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2019.
• Nonperforming assets as percentage of total assets was 0.37% at June 30, 2019, 0.44% at March 31, 2019, and 0.45% at June 30, 2018.
• Past due loans as percentage of total loans was 0.61% at June 30, 2019, 0.46% at March 31, 2019, and 0.54% at June 30, 2018.

Mortgage Banking Segment

• The Mortgage Banking segment totaled a pre-tax income of $5.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to $4.0 million of pre-tax income for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Loan originations increased approximately $72.1 million to $793.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to $721.2 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2018.  Origination volume relative to purchase activity accounted for 87.6% of originations for the
• quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to 92.6% of total originations for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Mortgage banking income increased $1.8 million, or 5.6%, to $34.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to $32.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.
• Gross margin on loans sold decreased 4.7% to 4.29% for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared to 4.50% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. 

About Waterstone Financial, Inc.

Waterstone Financial, Inc. is the savings and loan holding company for WaterStone Bank. WaterStone Bank was established in 1921 and offers a full suite of personal and business banking products. The Bank has branches in Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Fox Point/North Shore, Franklin/Hales Corners, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc/Lake Country, Pewaukee, Waukesha/Brookfield, and West Allis, Wisconsin and a commercial lending office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WaterStone Bank is the parent company to Waterstone Mortgage, which has the ability to lend in 47 states. For more information about WaterStone Bank, go to https://www.wsbonline.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding expected financial and operating activities and results that are preceded by, followed by, or that include words such as “may,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates” or “believes.”  Such statements are subject to important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements.  These factors include (i) exposure to the deterioration in the commercial and residential real estate markets which could result in increased charge-offs and increases in the allowance for loan losses,  (ii) various other factors, including changes in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding outstanding loans and identification of additional problem loans, which could require an increase in the allowance for loan losses, (iii) Waterstone’s ability to maintain required levels of capital and other current and future regulatory requirements, (iv) the impact of recent and future legislative initiatives on the financial markets, and (v) those factors referenced in Item 1A. Risk Factors in Waterstone’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and as may be described from time to time in Waterstone’s subsequent SEC filings, which factors are incorporated herein by reference.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect only Waterstone’s belief as of the date of this press release.

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